Orthodontic appliance



ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE Filed June 5. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 avwento'a Dec. 13, 1932. E. H. ANGLE 9 8 QRTHODONTIC APPLIANCE Filed June 5. 19:50 a Sheets- Sheet 2 FIG: 17

I an vcmto'v Elma/#1419716 Patented Dec. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES EDWARD B. ANGLE, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE Application filed June 5, 1930. Serial No. 459,322.

M invention is applicable to the art of correctmg the position of malposed teeth of the dental arch, and particularly relates to that class of devices in which an arch-bar is ad- 'ustabl supported'at its opposite terminals vide a tooth-band with a bracket that is so constructed and arranged as to afford means to facilitate the attachment of the arch-bar to the bracket whereby better force control in tooth movement is efiected, and more rapid progress in the treatment of cases may be obtained. Further objects of my invention are to pro- 'vide a tooth-band with a bracket having means with which an arch-bar retaining hasp may be readily sprung into and out of engagement to retain or release the arch-bar with respect to said bracket, as may be desired.

Specifically stated, the form of my invention as hereinafter described comprises a tooth-band provided with a bracket having a slot, opening outwardly and disposed in a horizontal position to receive an. arch-bar snugly fitted therein, and having a slot disposed normal thereto in a vertical direction in its inner surface which is attached to the tooth-band, and arranged to not only afford a guide or eye through which a ligature may be extended and drawn taut to position the arch-bar in its slot but may afford a recess into which the'free ends of a spring hasp may be engaged to lock said arch-bar in said slot.

My invention also includes'all of the various novel features of'construction and arrangement as hereinafter more definitely specified. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an inverted plan view of the upper dental arch, showing a convenient embodiment of my invention attached to selected teeth of said dental arch; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of the tooth attachments comprising a tooth-band extended in a plane and an arch-bar attaching bracket, constructed according to my invention, attached thereto; Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the tooth attachment shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of said tooth attachment, taken on the line 4.4 in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of one of the spring hasps; Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the arch-bar in position and being retained therein by the spring hasp, such as shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view similar to Fig. 6, but showing the archbar in an intermediate position and a spring hasp tending to force said arch-bar into its innermost or ultimate position, as indicated in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a greatly enlarged perspective view, as seen from a forward position, of the bracket per se, which is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 attached to the tooth-band; Fig. 9 is a greatly enlarged perspective view, as seen from a rearward position, of the bracket shown in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the formed tooth-band and its arch-bar attaching bracket secured thereto; Fig. 11 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 10, but showing a fragment of the arch-bar operatively engaged in the attaching bracket; Fig. 12 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 11, but showing the'wire ligature forming the arch-bar retainer looped over the arch-bar and its ends extended through the slot forming the guiding aperture in the back of the attaching bracket and extended therefrom vertically in opposite directions so that when pulled to separate said ends the loop is'drawn taut; Fig. 13 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 12, but showing the free ends of the loop wire ligature drawn laterally from said guiding aperture and bent inwardly against the respective jsides of the bracket; Fig. 14 is a perspective view-simi- 6 late Fig. 13, but showing the wire ligature passed through the guiding aperture and aving its opposite ends linked together and bent oppositely to retain the arch-bar in the slot in the bracket; Fig; 15 is an enlarged side bent to substantially conform to the dental arch and having its extremities provided with tangs 2 and extended through anchor sheaths 3, with which said tangs may be engaged to retain the arch-bar 1 in adjusted position, and which are carried by the anchor-bands 5, of well known construction.

As shown in Fig. 1, the anchor bands 5 are attached to the first molar teeth 6, which serve as anchor abutments upon opposite sides of the dental arch, said bands being provided with an eye 7 at one end, and at the other end, a threaded stem 8 extended through said eye and arranged to be adjusted therein by the nut 9 to clamp the band 5 upon said abutment teeth 6,.as is obvious.

The gist of my invention resides in the means of securing the arch-bar 1 to the malposed teeth 10 in the dental arch, and comprises the tooth-band 11 and-its arch-bar attaching bracket 13, shown in Figs. 2 and 3 in its initial form extended in a plane, and arranged to be cut to the length desired as indicated by the transverse dot-and-dash lines or theoblique dash lines thereon shown, and formed into the tooth embracing ring as shown by the circular dot-and-dash lines as indicated in Fig. 2. y

As best shown in Figs. 4 and 8, the bracket 13 may be formed of a substantially rectangular piece of metal chamfered forwardly and having its rear wall 14 affording. a plane surface substantially coextensive with the dimensions of the bracket, which not only afiords a tenacious solder j ointwith the toothband 11 but also provides reinforcement for said tooth-band.

The front or outer wall 15 ofthe bracket 13 is provided with a deeply cut or depressed slot 16 extending transverselyt-hrough the. body of said bracket and in parallel relation to the length of the tooth-band when extend- 1 ed in a plane. Said bracket 13 is also providedwith a slot 19, which, as shown, is substantially square in cross section but WhlCh may be of any desired configuration, extended through the rear surface of said bracket from top to bottom and in relatively transverse relation to the slot 16, so as to form anaperture adjacent to the rear wall of said bracket when engaged with the tooth-band 11. Sa1d aperture is arranged to receive the ends of the arch-bar retaining staple or hasp 20 affording a lock for retaining the arch-bar in the slot 16, and best shown by itself in Fig. 5. The spring hasp 20 may be conveniently applied by snapping its free ends into said aperture with its medial portion extended transversely across the arch-bar 1 in a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 6.

As shown in Fig. 7, a sprin hasp 21, of greater length than the spring hasp 20, may be bowed to engage an arch-bar whose relative position with the bracket is slightly abnormal, or, in other words, has not reached its ultimate position in the slot due to a slight abnormal position of the tooth to which said bracket may be attached and which may be corrected by the spring action of the hasp 21 tending to force the arch-bar 1 into its ultimate position against the bottom of the slot 16 inthe bracket 13.

As shown in the several figures, the archbar slot 16 in the bracket 13 opens outwardl from the tooth-band 11 and consequently a fords convenient acce ssfor the easy manipulation of the arch-bar 1 with respect thereto irrespectiveof the shape and position of said arch-bar, which is shown engaged in the slot in Fig. 11.-

As shown in Fig. 12, the arch-bar l'thus ad justed, is engaged by. the loop 25 formed of the ligature wire, the opposite end portions 26 and 27 of which are passed through the slot 19 and may be pulled in opposite direc tions to draw. the loop front face 15 of the bracket 13 and the archbar 1, which is held in the slot therein.

As shown in Fig. 13, the ends of the ligature wire forming the loop 25, which has thus been drawn taut, may be cut to the proper length and bent laterally in opposite directions and their extremities bent inwardly as at 29 and 30 against the opposite side walls of the bracket 15 so as to be out of contact with the lips, tongue or cheek of the patient.

As illustrated in Fig. 14, the ligature wlre is passed through the aperture formed by the slot19 and the free end portions of said ligature are relatively engaged by the formation of the'loops 32 and 33 and the surplus liga-i tureends clipped off and the terminals 35 and 36 bent inwardly to closely overlie the forward wall of the bracket-13, as shown.

' The ligature formation shown in Figs. 12, 13 and 14 may be better understood by referara-tely illustrated respectively in Figures 15, 16 and 17, it being understood, however, that as illustrated in Fig. 17, the loops are: shown in relatively normal planes respectively par-' allel and perpendicular to the front faceof the bracket 13\for' convenience of illustration, whereas in practice said-loops 'might better assume an angle of forty-five degrees to said face.

25 taut across the ence to the enlarged views showing them sep- It will be obvious that the vertical aperture formed by the slot 19 in the bracket 13 may be used to great advantage to assist in the different movements of a tooth by means of a ligature inserted through it and made to embrace the arch-bar 1 in variousfways before exerting tension thereon.

It may be here noted that the retaining spring hasp may best be employed as a means for' locking the tooth in its relation to the arch-bar after the tooth has been moved by means of the ligatures from its malposition to its correct sition in the dental arch, in the manner a ve described, that is, after teeth have been moved into correct position in the line of occlusion by means of the ligatures described in Figs. 12 to 14 inclusive, said ligatures may be replaced by the spring hasp, as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 as fast as each individual tooth is brought into the correct or nearly normal positions, thus relieving the patient'of the active ligatures which are always not only more or less annoying but are subject to accidental displacement.

My invention is advantageous in thatby the employment of a bracket thus constructed, better force control in tooth movement and far more rapid pro ess in the treatment of cases is obtained and by the employment of the sprin hasp the patient is not subjected to the long rawn out use of the ligatures and the consequent discomfort incident to the use of such ligatures.

I do not desire to limit my invention to the precise details of construction and arrangement as herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein receiving slot in said face, and an arch-bar retainer having itsfree ends bent inwardly toward each other to engage said retaining means and cooperative with said inclined surfaces when forced to slide'thereon to spread them apart and guide them'int'o snapped engagement with said retaining means, and in without'departing from the essential features of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An orthodontic appliance comprising a tooth-band bracket having an arch-bar receiving slot extending horizontally in its outer face and having a vertically extended aperture adjacent to its inner face, and a spring has extending across said slot and havin its ree ends bent inwardly to enga in sai aperture and thereby retain an arc bar in said slot.

2. An orthodontic appliance com rising a tooth-band bracket having an arc -bar receiving slot extending horizontally in its outer-face and having retaining means, and a spring has extended across said slot and having its ree ends bent inwardly to enga in said means and thereby retain said are bar in said slot.

3. An orthodontic appliance comprising a tooth-band bracket having retaining means and havin its outer face provided wlth relatively inc ined surfaces diverging,towa'rd:

said retaining means and-serving as guides disposed upon opposite sides of an archbar 

